Page 8 of Courting the Earl
Apparently it was Eleanor’s role to act as Lydia’s chaperone so the girl’s parents could enjoy the evening with others. He filed away that information in case it should prove useful.
Finally, after an hour had passed, he approached the two Miss Pearsons between sets.
Lydia had just joined her cousin after her last partner had left her side with what appeared to be great reluctance. It bothered him that no one had asked Eleanor to partner with them. He’d caught the wistful look in her eyes as she’d watched her young cousin dance. He couldn’t say why, but he felt compelled to make up for their oversight.
Eleanor saw him approach and leaned down to whisper in her cousin’s ear. Lydia turned to him with a smile and dipped into a curtsy when he reached them.
“It is good to see you, my lord. I was just telling my cousin that I didn’t think you were here tonight.”
Of course she didn’t. She probably imagined he would elbow all other would-be suitors out of the way just to reach her side as soon as she’d been announced.
“Well, here I am.”
His smile was aimed at both women. Lydia giggled, but a quick glance at Eleanor told him she wasn’t amused. A slight frown had formed between her brows.
“I was speaking with friends, and when I realized you were here, you were caught up with others. I don’t suppose you saved a dance for me?”
“Of course. Mama told me to save the supper dance for you.”
She offered him her card, and he scribbled his name on the indicated line. He hoped his smile didn’t appear false as he murmured something about looking forward to it. Then he turned to Eleanor Pearson.
“And you, Miss Pearson? I hope you have room on your dance card.”
Color rose on the woman’s cheeks. “I hadn’t planned to dance—”
Lydia cut her off. “Oh, you must, Ellie. I hate the idea of your standing here watching me have all the fun. Acting as my chaperone doesn’t mean you can’t also enjoy yourself tonight.”
“Well, perhaps just one dance.”
“Excellent,” he said before she could change her mind. “I will come collect you when it is time.”
He gave them both a polite bow and then turned to leave, pretending to forget that he hadn’t signed the woman’s card. He was sure there would be a waltz at some point, and he’d return to collect her then. Better to ambush her than to risk Miss Eleanor Pearson finding a way to avoid waltzing with him.
He smiled as he realized he was looking forward to that dance very much.
Chapter 5
Eleanor watched the dancing couples from her position on the edge of the dance floor. The room was a whirlwind of color and movement. The doors to the gardens outside were thrown open, and the air was perfumed with the scent of flowers. Every member of the ton must be there tonight, but the ballroom was large and accommodated the crowd with little difficulty.
She joined a group of women who were also relegated to watching the dancing couples from the side. They’d welcomed her into their midst, their friendly chatter doing much to ease her sense of not belonging. Once upon a time she’d dreamed of being the person who danced every set with a handsome young man. But instead, she was the woman on the edge of spinsterhood.
She was acutely aware of Hargrove’s movements. She told herself she was just keeping an eye on the man because he would one day become her cousin through marriage and she was concerned about Lydia’s future happiness. But as the evening progressed, she couldn’t deny that there was more to her interest.
She chatted with the other women, most of whom were in similar positions. Chaperones to young women who were dancing every set. The dynamic fascinated her. Did all families possess one unmarried female relative whose sole purpose in life was shadowing their young charges?
She couldn’t help but be aware of the way Hargrove kept glancing their way. At first she thought he was looking for Lydia, who’d returned to her side between each set. But he did so even when Lydia was dancing. Surely Lord Hargrove should be more interested in watching his betrothed than with what she was doing.
She didn’t want to be caught staring at the man, but her attempts at keeping her glances unobtrusive weren’t entirely successful. It was as though the man possessed a sixth sense that told him she was looking at him because more often than not, he would turn to meet her gaze. He even had the audacity to wink at her once before turning to chat with a group of men who seemed intent on avoiding dancing altogether. She couldn’t understand why they were even at the ball.
But she kept glancing at him, convinced that she’d catch him watching Lydia. Instead, he seemed unconcerned about what his betrothed was doing and with whom. Which left her wondering why he kept looking her way.
She tried to shake off all thought of the earl. Lydia had just left on the arm of another man, and she watched them stroll onto the dance floor. The young lord—really, how could she be expected to remember everyone’s name?—was smiling down at her cousin as though he were in possession of the greatest prize in the room. Eleanor didn’t normally feel as though twenty-five was a terribly advanced age, but watching the two fresh-faced young people smiling at each other as they took up their positions for what was the first waltz of the evening made her feel ancient.
“Is that boy old enough to be here?”
Eleanor turned to find Hargrove had approached from behind. She covered her mouth with a hand, stifling the laughter that threatened to bubble up at the comment. It was as though he had read her mind.
Why did Hargrove have to be witty as well as handsome?
